216 GOSSAMER. 



ing, without any interruption, till the close of 

 the day. 



These webs were not single filmy threads, 

 floating in the air in all, directions, but perfect 

 flakes or rags ; some near an inch broad, and five 

 or six long, which fell with a degree of velocity, 

 that showed they were considerably heavier than 

 the atmosphere. 



On every side, as the observer turned his eyes, 

 he might behold a continual succession of fresh 

 flakes falling into his sight, and twinkling like 

 stars, as they turned their sides towards the sun. 



How far this wonderful shower extended, would 

 be difficult to say ; but we know that it reached 

 Bradley, Selborne, and Alresford, three places 

 which lie in a sort of a triangle, the shortest of 

 whose sides is about eight miles in extent. 



At the second of those places there was a gen- 

 tleman (for whose veracity and intelligent turn 

 we have the greatest veneration) who observed it 

 the moment he got abroad ; but concluded that, 

 as soon as he came upon the hill above his house, 

 where he took his morning rides, he should be 

 higher than this meteor, which he imagined might 

 have been blown, like thistle-down, from the 

 common above : but, to his great astonishment, 

 when he rode to the most elevated part of the 

 down, 300 feet above his fields, he found the webs 

 in appearance still as much above him as before ; 

 still descending into sight in a constant succession, 

 and twinkling in the sun, so as to draw the atten- 

 tion of the most incurious. 



Neither before nor after was any such fall ob- 

 served ; but on this day the flakes hung in trees 

 and hedges so thick, that a diligent person sent 

 out might have gathered baskets full. 



The remark that I shall make on these cobweb- 

 like appearances, called gossamer, is, that strange 



